


Pairing the Impossible

by nerdatello



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: (I SWEAR I REALLY DO SHIP THEM WITH MY LIFE), (a storyboard artist confirmed it was an au), (all of it is canon except for the mutant apocalypse arc), (end my life omg), (i just.. don makes me rly soft), (so its an au to me), F/M, I am so sorry, Raphael Swears A Lot, also i apologize upfront for every apritello fan reading this, bc i totally crushed it within the palm of my hand, donnie is the biggest nerd and i love him, first person because i'm horrible, leo is a meditation junkie and you know it, oh no, set after season 5 in their universe, the amount of leorai/ramona in this is minimal at best BUT IT'LL BE THERE I PROMISE, y'all disown me now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2019-10-30 04:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17822228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdatello/pseuds/nerdatello
Summary: Out of every school district in this country, mine was selected. We were selected to be the participants of an experiment, of a test run by the government to meddle with cross-dimension interaction. Thousands of fictional universes became real in an instant, and as the students, we were set to be matched with select characters from them.Fast forward to now. It's the week after my junior year began.And I've been paired up with him.





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I AM ONE OF THE WEIRDEST PEOPLE ON THIS SITE PROBABLY, I AM SO SORRY BJHKHFBGHGFDS  
> anyways. yeah. uh. self-insert fic,, i'm super sensitive about this and i have no idea where the confidence came from to post this on here if i'm being honest  
> (at least this isn't like, straight-up porn ((no offense, personally that kind of writing just makes me Uncomfortable)) )
> 
> thank you for taking an interest in this fic tho!! uwu  
> (and with one emoticon i drove every potential reader away lol)  
> i gotta warn you that updates will happen whenever i'm in the mood to write this kind of thing, which happens every so often but i can't promise anything (ALSO sometimes chapters will be inserted in between because sometimes i write scenarios out of order because i'm dumb like that)  
> ((also also this an extremely personal thing to me, like, this fic is the whole reason i have imaginary friends to begin with. you know i'm weird because you just read that and i'm being serious. what is my life.))
> 
> also!! i rated this teen for like. y'know. swearing and all that jazz. there's gonna be some emotional shit later on as well as some Heated Fight Scenes (also.. y'know....... kissin' bc i can't help myself I'M SORRY-)  
> it's first person because well.. it's me..... and i didn't think i'd ever post this anywhere either, y'know
> 
> this fandom is still alive right, like, we aren't dead yet, right guys? ...right?
> 
> ANYWAYS ON WITH THE FIC SORRY I RAMBLE TOO MUCH

I.. I don't really know where to begin with this one. I feel as though if you knew, you'd understand why. I'll try my best to explain, but please don't feel left out if you don't get it. If I was reading this I wouldn't believe myself either.

Around a week ago, our school had sent out a message over the PA. Right from the get-go, it was off. I'll attempt to recreate what we had all heard:

"Hello, students! This is [not saying my principal's name] speaking. We have some exciting news for you all, especially for those who are into cartoon and video games," This is the part where I cringed internally, as hearing the words over a speaker for the entire school of more than a thousand people to hear was… less than ideal. "Because as of today, we're starting a new program. The government has just given us out of every city in America this chance, so feel special, everybody! More details will be enlisted to those who are selected into the program, and those who are not will be sent a follow-up email in the coming days. That's all!"

Cringe-worthy, I know. You have no idea how much more it was actually being there, hearing it with your own two ears. So, basically, as told to us by our teachers immediately following the broadcast, a new program was set for our city - the reason why  _ we _ were picked out of the millions of cities in this country is beyond me. Maybe we paid more than the rest of the cities? Maybe we had more kids who were into cartoons or something? Maybe it was just luck, or drawn out of a hat? God, if I knew I'd tell you guys. Anyways, only around a third of the students of the schools in the city got to participate in this. Yeah… Most of the people aren't that into TV or books or whatever.

The base of this program is as follows: every person that is picked is assigned to a character from their favorite fandom. If all the characters are taken, then it goes to their second favorite fandom, and so on. The character that they're assigned to is based on how close their personality is to said character. One of the biggest rules, though, is that it's a same-sex pairing; a female can't be paired with a male character and vice versa. The pairing is mostly referred to as 'partners' (yes, people have made shipping jokes, but that's strictly prohibited between real-life and fictional characters) and the main characters' partners have a vote on whose house they're going to make as their 'base', or whatever. It mostly goes down to whoever's house is bigger, because if your show/book/game has a lot of characters… Oh jeez.

Not every character is included, though. It'd get chaotic pretty quick if they were. It's mostly just the main characters and a few recurring ones. Nothing too major.

The only fandoms that are included, though, are animated TV shows (including the most popular anime, and ONLY the most popular because God knows how hectic this would be if every anime ever was included), books (only book series with fandoms, obviously), and video games (ONLY THE MAJOR ONES). Even I don't know every franchise that was included.

A campground was constructed for us for interaction between every fandom that we all go to every other weekend in the summer, and during breaks, we go to an area of apartments that are assigned to 'eras', or whatever. Like, shows that aired from 2010-15 or whatever. It's weird, yes. I know. Also, if we want to, we can have more than one fandom be at one house. Like, if we want the theme to be 'Ninja-shows from the 2010s', we can. It's actually really interesting.

Alright, I think that's everything. Now let's get to the whole reason behind why I'm freaking out while I type this.

See, I got accepted into the program, but here's the problem:

  1. I was put into the TMNT 2012 house (the problem there is me being wayyy too much of a dork around the guys).
  2. I was called down to the office.
  3. Nobody else in this program was.



* * *

"Okay, Allyson, you can come back now." My heart begins to race at a million miles an hour again. What in God's name is going on? Did I do something wrong? No, how could I have done something wrong? This thing came out today! ...Do they know everything I've done concerning this show????

I follow the afternoon secretary into a smaller room in the rear of the office. We have this, like, closed off area for the counselors and whatnot and every counselor has their own room. Why is this so difficult to explain… I sit down in one of the three chairs as the door closes behind me.

"Totally not creepy…" I whisper to the air. I set my backpack down on the floor, cracking my knuckles and looking around the room. It looks like any other counselor's room; not windows, a computer in front of me, shelves of information that doesn't pertain to me, blah blah blah. My attention is drawn towards the desk immediately in front of me. Sitting on top of it is a file with  _ my _ name on it. The door opens and I jump a little in my seat.

"Oh, sorry!" A woman's voice says behind me. I don't recognize her, as I've never seen any staff at this school with short, ginger hair in the 3 years I've been here. She takes the seat on the other side of the desk, sighs, fixes her glasses, and opens the file as neatly as possible. "Alright, I don't want to make this sound weird or anything, but do you know why you were called down here?" I shake my head, watching her face intently. My curiosity gets the best of me.

"Wh.. Who did I pair up with? April? Ooo, Karai? That'd be neat. Although, I dunno if my personality matches hers… Renet? We look alike, so that'd make sen-"

"No, no. See, that's the problem," My breath stops. "You were paired with a male." She says, quieter than before, clearing her throat before continuing. "Your partner is Donatello." I stare at the woman.  _ What. _ My jaw drops, the reality of the situation sinking in. My heart starts pounding faster and harder than it was before all this. My mind is racing at a thousand miles an hour. Images of possible future scenarios begin to form in my head, one right after the next.

"B.. But that's impossible! I thought the rules... I…"

"Yes, those are the rule. Participants aren't supposed to match with characters of the opposite gender," She says, looking me dead in the eye. "So something must have gone wrong in the sorting system, or, for some reason, this was just the character you matched closest to." She shrugs. "It's especially strange since the other three were partnered with males. Does the choice bother you in any way?"

"No." I immediately reply, which makes her eyes widen.  _ shitshitshitshit _ "I-I mean, he's.. uh… Why would I be upset with being paired with.. my.. favorite character..?" Her eyes move around a bit.

"I guess that wouldn't make it all that weird, the," She breathes out, giving me a stern look with her next words. "Just make sure you don't go overboard."

"'Overboard'?"

"Do  _ not _ , under any circumstances, let him know you feel that way towards him." If I had been drinking anything, I would have spat it out at this moment.

"Wh- _ What? _ "

"Your face is as red as a tomato ever since I said his name, Allyson." She sighs again. "How did you develop-"

"LET'S NOT GO THERE PLEASe i'd rather not talk about it and embarrass myself." I hurriedly say, sheepishly chuckling at the end of my words.

"Fair enough." She replies, closing the document after going over it one more time. "You are free to leave. Head to Gym A. I'm sure you'll see your group when you enter." I nod, quickly grabbing my things and leaving the room.

* * *

Me. Me, of all people, paired with  _ him. _ First of all, what the hell went wrong with the machine? Had I known prior or right away, I probably would have lost my shit and asked to be excused for the rest of eternity. I couldn’t have said that right to a staff’s face, though. My pace slows the closer I get to the gymnasium doors, realizing that in that room is chock full of fictional characters. I can hear loud conversations even from a rough 5 feet away from the door. Other schools in the area were going through the same procedure, and I’m really grateful we didn’t all gather in one place. I’m about to reach for the door handle after mustering all my strength and courage when a voice calls out.

“Hey, wait for me, please!” I turn around and spot a teenager who looks like he’s 12 sprinting towards me. He heaves over once he reaches the doors and takes a breather before gaining his footing and looks at me. “Whew, I  _ so _ did not want to go in there by myself, y’know? Awkward.” Now that I think about it, I have no idea where the idea even popped into my head to go in there alone and have hundreds of eyes stare at me, judging me and wondering who I was and who I was paired with and what my fandom is and- “Let’s go! I can’t wait to meet them!” The guy practically swings the door open and signals for me to follow, which I hesitantly do.

“Where are you headed?” He asks me.

“Um… Where are you?” I ask back. He only laughs.

“Playing that game, huh? Well, whatever. I got put in with the 2012 turtles!”  _ Well. Convenience at its finest. _ Although, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little bit relieved at the fact I wasn’t headed to the group by myself.

“If I told you I was too, would you believe m-”

“NO WAY! YOU’RE TOTALLY JOKING WITH ME!” I wince at his volume, looking around to see if anyone started staring at us. To our (well, mostly my) luck, his volume actually wasn’t that much louder than the rest of the gym put together. “That is  _ so _ cool!” This might be a shot in the dark, but…

“Let me guess: is your partner Mikey?”

“Psychic. You’ve gotta be April’s partner. There’s no other way you’d be able to guess that easily otherwise.” I scoff.

“It was just how loud you said that.. And how enthusiastic you are about this whole thing.” He frowns at my response.

“Are you not excited? I mean, we’re going to be able to hang out with the  _ coolest characters in the universe _ !” I know at least the entirety of the internet that doesn’t like TMNT 2012 would be at a disagreement with him.

“Y.. Yeah, I guess…” I squeeze my backpack straps, peering around and seeing if my anxiety can spot the turtles before I can. There’s a part of me that just wants to get this over with, and a bigger part of me that’s scared out of my damn mind.

“Are you nervous?” He asks, a smile on his face. “How big of a fan  _ are _ you?” I stop slouching and look him dead in the eyes.

“I can legit quote any line from the first and second seasons and I’ve seen every single episode twice. Test me.”

“Whoa, okay, back down there. I was just joking!” He laughs, holding out his hand.” I’m Kaden, by the way. Sophomore. I was held back a grade.”

“Allyson, junior. High school gives me anxiety.” We both laugh after briefly shaking hands, heading closer to the bleachers to avoid the crowd.

“So.. Do you see them anywhere? You’d think they’d stand out more.”

“Well, to be fair, the guys have lived their entire lives in secrecy. I’d be surprised if the only turtle we see right away is Mikey.”

“Y’know, I’m starting to think your partner might not be April and might be more of the other side of that ship.”

“You’re not wrong…”

“WHAT?” He shouts in my ear, making me wince again. “But I thought-”

“Yeah, well, I was called down to the office because of it. Turns out that when you get paired with your favorite character it’s a flaw in the machine or whatever.” He stops and I turn to look at him.

“We both got partnered up with our favorite characters, which is sweet, but.. I hope everyone else is as lucky…” I nod, walking with him as we continue our search. I take the time to look around and mentally try to remember every franchise I see here.  _ Voltron (of course), Danny Phantom, Star VS, Trollhunters (SWEET!!), Ninjago (DOUBLE SWEET!!!), One Piece (I spot one of my friends with the group), Harry Potter (I think), FMA, Final Fantasy (another friend is there), Fire Emblem, Fairy Tail, BNHA, Naruto, Zelda… Wow, I didn’t expect to see my oldest fandom here… Oh, is that- _ “THERE!” Kaden suddenly half-shouts, grabbing my arm. “There there there there therethere-” I nudge him and look in the direction he is. My heart stops and I drop dead. Oh no.

There’s another teenager who looks like Kaden, standing next to Leo, laughing after something a girl said.  _ At least I won’t be the only girl in the group. _ I don’t see anyone else in the entire gym after I finally see  **_him._ ** Almost 6 years later, after first seeing the character in question in a trailer, he’s here, in the real world. I reeeeaaally wish I could douse my head with water to stop the blood that I  _ know _ is rushing to my face right now. His arms are folded slightly, putting his weight on one leg. Kaden’s tugging at my arm, but I have turned into a statue.

“i changed my mind i cannot do this,” I whisper, my heart jumping 20 feet into the air as he turns a little bit, but not enough to see the two of us.

“Allyson, what’s wrong? Why is your face all red?”  _ He really is Mikey _ … I think, kind of relieved he hasn’t put two and two together. “Let’s go and introduce ourselves, or I’ll scream and they’ll  _ have _ to notice us.”

“Why are you acting like you know me?” I say as he starts to walk away, and I hurriedly follow behind him. The teenager I noticed before locks eyes with me and then presumably Kaden’s, and he mouths a ‘hey’ as Kaden waves. I’m practically clinging onto Kaden at this point. How humiliating.

“How’s it going, guys?” Kaden asks with the confidence of like, Jesus Christ himself. “My name’s Kaden, and I’m super happy to be with you guys!”

“Heh, not bad,” The other teenager replies, eyeing me curiously. “My name is Sam, and well, if it wasn’t obvious I got paired up with Leo.” The turtle in question smiles at the two of us.  _ Good GOD he really is short. _ Oh yeah, I’m taller than Kaden. Did I mention that yet? I’m like almost a head taller than him. He’s a shield that doesn’t block my face. Damn.

“That’s him! You! We’re-”

“Partners!” Mikey and Kaden say at the same time, the boy leaving me to fend for myself as he takes a couple steps closer to the youngest turtle. I stand there with… I’m guessing 4 pairs of eyes on me.

“Um.. Hi, uh.. I’m Allyson, and, well, the system choked on itself because I…”  _ oh no oh no oh nO- _ “I am… I got paired up with Donnie!” I throw up my hands and dare to look at the character partnered with me, who looks as stunned as I was initially. “I don’t know either, and believe me when I say I’ve seen every episode twice so it’s not like I’m completely foreign with you guys or anything. I’m basically how Leo is with Space Heroes.”

“Just don’t go quotin’ us around everywhere and you’ll be better than Fearless,” Raph mutters, a smile cracking at the corners of his mouth. Leo shoots a glare at Raph before stepping forward a bit.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, regardless of the situation,” Leo says, outstretching an arm in my direction. My heart is racing just even thinking of physically coming into contact with characters I once thought were only fictional. 

“You too, uh, even if I’ve  _ technically _ known you for almost 6 years now.” I laugh and thankfully the entire group chuckles, which eases a small fear in the back of my mind. I take his hand, actually kind of surprised of how much larger their hands are. After we both let go, I hastily shove my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt, clear my throat a bit (mostly to try and clear my  _ head _ ) and face  **him.**

“So.. The height difference is weird.”

“Huh?” He mutters, now directing his full attention to me. I literally take one glance at his eyes and my heart flutters.  _ goddammit donnie why are you so perfect _ . I laugh a little bit as I speak.

“It’s just, the fandom, myself included, always saw you as around 6 feet tall, and I’m 5’7”, and since you’re like, only an inch taller than me, I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.” His face immediately shifts from neutral to amused in a split second, airily chuckling. My chest and lungs backflip.

“If I stand on my toes, would that make you feel better?” He asks jokingly, and I join in with his laughter.

“Allyson!! C’mon, you gotta meet the girls of the group! We won’t see them as often, so best to meet them now!” Kaden’s voice calls from father back.  _ but what if i want to stay, _

“I should… Uh.. He has a point.. godimsorry…” He just chuckles again.  _ God, he’s in such a happy mood. That makes me happy. Yeah. _

“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you wanted to be paired up with one of the girls anyway.” I stop mid-turn and look at him. He looks at me.

“If I’m honest, Donnie, I say screw the rules with the whole gender thing, because I really wanted to pair up with  _ you. _ ”


	2. Establishing the Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preeeetty self-explanatory, but rules are established in this one, as well as introductions to the other guys' pairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oH GOSH!! sorry for not uploading in *checks calendar* uh... wow has it really been two months oh jeez-
> 
> school! school is a pain!!! i'm dealing with too much drama atm and it's taking a toll on my sanity lol. i also didn't know what direction i wanted to take this (i have a lot of plans for future chapters but i didn't know if i wanted to upload those and put chapters in between them or go chronologically ((i went with the latter)) ). but it's here now!! i hope you enjoy this one, and yes, don't worry, there will be a conflict. i swear.

"Is this thing on? Okay, okay. Good." He's back. I'll be completely honest, my principal isn't really that cringey. I actually appreciate him - when I walk in through the doors, he's always cracking jokes with me and wishing me a good day - for the most part. The only part that I think is bad, is well, this. "Good morning, students! We should have everyone here now, but in the off chance that there's someone missing, please walk over to the doors leading into the commons and inform one of the staff."

He’s somehow made his way into the middle of the gym floor, microphone in hand and has the attention of nearly everyone in the room. There are a few side conversations going on, but that's to be expected. We're teenagers. The eight of us are seated on the floor, and I'm trying my best to not sneak glances over at Donnie. It's… not working.

"Do teachers talk like that all the time?" Leo's voice whispers from next to me.

"Like what?" I think that's Sam.

"All formal and whatnot."

"Well, duh. They're _teachers_. Although, sometimes they're a lot more relaxed." A really quiet 'hmm' replies.

"Allllrighty, guys and girls. I'm sure you're all super excited to hang out with your pairs and other characters, but as with every good thing, there are rules to be set up." _Yeah,_ sooo _formal._ My principal grabs a clipboard from the floor and clears his throat. "First things first, we'd like to point out that there should be no romantic relationships between you and your pairs." A few groans sound out, but not as many as I expected. I hide mine, but I had a feeling this would happen. "We apologize, but please remember that what we're doing is only temporary and will end after the student graduates." _Even with the portals?_

"Secondly, I'm sure a lot of the fictional characters are wondering: 'Are we going to have to take classes?' And I'm here with an answer: it's completely optional!" My mind flashes to a show like Danny Phantom, where the main characters would have to attend 2 schools, so this rule makes sense. "You all only have to take classes if you'd really like to. Otherwise, we have a few things set up, such as briefings about how this universe works, elective classes but without the schoolwork, and study halls." Muttering echoes through the gym, probably complaining about the workload that their once-fictional pairs don't have to go through.

"Our third rule goes over housing. One main house amongst the show's student pairs will be selected as a meet-up, so to speak. You guys can decide this amongst yourselves, but please note that this house will be the only place that can have more than one fictional at a time." _That's stupid. Does it go off of the size of the house?_ Worry starts to cloud my mind that I might have the biggest house out of the 4 of us students. "Also, if you would like to ask for a house change, we have forms for that in the office. Just ask for one!" The muttering's getting louder, but the principal doesn't seem to mind.

"Okay, last rule here, since I know you all are getting a little antsy." _Or.. maybe he does._ "We've established a sort of deal with a nearby campground for over the summer for all the pairs under seniors. During the summer, you guys can head to this campground and hang out there, with other series and their pairs as well. It's all one neat little compact way to hang!" _Ouch, that was bad._ "You can read these rules in the email that we'll have sent out. Now then, you guys have about half an hour before the day begins, as usual, so please take this opportunity to get to know your pairs - and fellow students - better!" The side conversations are amplified now, and with them, I sigh. _The worst is over. I think._

Sam ushers us over to a corner of the gym floor, where no other groups seem to be gathering. The eight of us claim the spot, sitting in a circle. I see the others in the second group (with April, Casey, Karai, and Shinigami) sit down near us. I take a deep breath and try to clear my head, my anxiety rising to the surface as I think and go over possible ways that this situation is going to turn out. It could either go _really_ good or _**really**_ bad. My brain is automatically defaulting to the bad scenarios, because why would anything go my way, right?

I stop spiraling when Donnie (willingly) sits down next to me. I don't think I've ever felt my heart jump as much as at this moment. _Okay, okay, chill. This is just because you're paired with him._ I try and calm my nerves and EXTREMELY ignore the urge to hold his hand. I can't do that. I'd ruin any chance at a good friendship (curse the school rules wHY-) with him if I did. Instead, I quickly look at him before directing my attention to the one who brought us over here. I don't know if the turtle in purple even noticed. _I hope not._

"My name is Samuel, but please, call me Sam. I wasn't really expecting to be put in this fandom, but I can't complain. I've only seen a handful of episodes, but I know what happens in the season 3 finale - my younger brother watched that one on repeat." I slightly wince, and Sam catches it, throwing a raised eyebrow in my direction.

"Sorry, sorry! It's just.. ho boy, of all the season finales-"

"I know, it's not the best episode to know by heart, but it's what happened."

"What happened in that one?" Leo asks, and Sam and I both look at each other.

"The first time that the Triceratons invade," I respond. All four of the turtles cringe, and I don't blame them.

"Anyway, my original pair that I had signed up for was Shouto Todoroki from My Hero Academia, but as I'm guessing, someone else was more suitable. Stuff happens though, and it's not like we won't ever see them." A few of us nod, but my mind gets distracted from the thought of being at the campground and hearing Bakugou's screams from a mile away. _That'll be annoying._ "I've got some athletic ability, and I'm a junior this year. I.. I think that about wraps things up."

"Me next!" Kaden pipes up. "My name's Kaden Jacobsen and I've seen almost every episode!" _There's more hope for him._ "My pair that I wrote down was actually Mikey, so that's pretty sweet." Kaden smiles at his pair as he says this, and the freckled turtle returns the expression. "I got held back a year, so I'm a sophomore. Again. Man, this feeling sucks." I have some sympathy there.

"Umm… Oh! One of my special skills is the fact that I _always_ wake up at 7-am sharp! It's come in handy during school. I'm also always here if anyone needs someone to talk to!" _I'll keep that in mind._ "I guess the last thing I want to mention is that I really, _really_ love animals. Maybe a bit too much. Okay, sorry, I'm done." He chuckles while looking between Raph's pair. "Ty, go."

"What? Why me?" 'Ty' blurts out, raising his head from his hand. He's clearly irritated, and possibly even tired. It _is_ only the beginning of the school year, so it's understandable.

"'Cause I said so!" The apparent friend of Kaden's groans.

"Fine. Name's Tyler, but for the love of God, _never_ call me Ty." He glares at Kaden, who in turn laughs. "I don't have anything to say except for the fact that I've seen like two episodes of Ninja Turtles in my life. I know your names and colors but that's it." _Why's he here, then?_ I try not to show my confusion, but I apparently fail. "Look, I just didn't think this show was interesting back then. I guess it is. I don't know."

"You like Voltron, though-"

"Shut _UP_ , Kaden!" Tyler's face goes red with embarrassment.

"Dude, there's no shame in liking that show," I reply, almost shaking. _God, go_ away _, social anxiety._ "I watch it." Tyler glances at me for a brief moment before putting his head back in his hand and looks in the other direction. I take that as a cue to begin, sighing to try and ease my nerves for the utmost time.

"Alrighty. I'm Allyson. Uh, I turned 17 _literally_ 2 days ago, and I'm currently hoping I don't completely embarrass myself by the end of the year." I successfully get a small chuckle from a few of them. "I've seen every episode twice - there's 124 - and I got paired with my favorite character." I shoot some finger guns for humor. I actually get a nasal chuckle from the turtle in red. "I-"

"Oh! Oh!!" I look over at Mikey. "Quote me!"

" _What_ -"

"Say something that I've said before!" My face grows warm.

"Uh… Well, umm…"

"Mikey, don't freak her out." My pair saves the awkward situation, and my chest lurches at the thought of _oh my god he's talking about me-_ I cut that train of thought before it can continue down the tracks. In the few seconds of silence, my mind remembers a good enough scene to impersonate.

"'That's a two-for! Thank you, thank you… And thank _you,_ '" I even add the hand motions that he did in the scene for an added effect. Mikey looks at me as if I told him he won free pizza for a year. "You remember that one, right?"

"Yeah! Dude, that's awesome! I'm practically famous!" Predictably, Raph rolls his eyes.

"I have a question," Kaden pipes up from next to his pair. "Why's Donnie your favorite?" All eyes turn to me. I open my mouth as if to speak, but the looks I get from the guys are killing my confidence. Raph's smirking at me with a knowing look in his eyes ( _oh my god don't tell me he can read people_ ), Leo's looking back and forth from his purple-clad brother to me, and Mikey hasn't wiped that grin off his face. Sam and Tyler show as much interest as Kaden does. I don't even dare a glance at the turtle in question.

"So, I've been into the show since the beginning, right? I was like, 11 when it aired. My favorite color's always been purple, and growing up my weapon of choice in imaginary battles was either a bow and arrow or a staff. And seeing that, y'know, Donnie's got _two_ of the three, I paid more attention to him. And here we are almost 6 years later." I shoot him an anxious smile and he returns an understanding one. _Whew. That didn't end in a disaster._ "I guess it's just a coincidence that this all happened. Well, I mean, the one administrator said it wasn't intentional, but-" Alarm is going through everyone's expressions.

"Who was your pair originally?" Donnie asks.

"Karai, or at least, that's who I put down. I mean, I totally would've picked you if that stupid gender rule wasn't a thing, but it looks like that didn't matter in the end." I faintly smile at him, and he returns it, making me internally freak out again. Donnie, _you are making this SUPER HARD for me-_

"Well, now that we've got that out of the way, what are we gonna do for houses? Whose family gots the most mon-ey?" Kaden asks. _Wow. Mikey vibes. Dang, the school knew what they were doing._

"Both my parents live in apartments. So do Kaden's," Ty mutters.

"My family lives in a one-story with no basement and a really tiny kitchen," Sam says.

"Uhh.. My house has one story and a basement, and the kitchen isn't small," I reply. _Oh NO THIS MEANS-_

"Then we go to your place!" Kaden responds, smiling at me. I look at everyone else, seeing approval on their faces. I try to smile, but then an image of my room crosses my mind. _Ohhhhhhhhhh no oh no oh no-_

"What's wrong?" Donnie asks, and I freak out even more - I hide it as best as I can, though. I turn my head to look at him.

"I… I've got.. a _lot_ of stuff in my room.. that's.. related to you guys…"

"There's nothing wrong with that. We _were_ in different realities before." The blue-clad turtle responds, and I lock eyes with his sapphire blues. I chuckle.

"Thanks, Leo, but-" The first hour bell drones out over the gymnasium. _Well, shit._ Groups are starting to get up, and Mikey perks up with an 'oh, are classes starting?'. The scene from the episode where the guys went to April's school reminds me that Mikey's actually enthusiastic about this place. _Oh, sweet innocence._ Sam nods at the youngest turtle as he, too, rises from the floor. The rest of us follow suit, heading out the doors that lead into the commons.

The last thing I notice before I exit the gym is someone leaning against the wall a few feet away, looking straight at me.

He's pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHTY!! done with this one. wow. again i seriously apologize for how long this one took oh lord-  
> anyways!! thank you for reading!!! i'll hopefully have the next chapter up sooner but please don't quote me on that, haha.
> 
> also, if you guys would like to see a list of fandoms included, please let me know! i'm considering putting said list before the first chapter and also a list of the rules or whatever.


	3. Enter the Antagonists

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW i’m coming out with this as fast as the show came out with episodes huh-
> 
> OKAY IN ALL SERIOUSNESS i am so sorry for taking so long. my life is pretty out of wack atm but i’m managing okay! (i’m 18 in less than a week can you imagine the pressure-) i hope this chapter sets up some sort of mystery and i hope i didn’t make the plot super obvious.
> 
> ALSO! i’m thinking about making the past two chapters in third person. please let me know if you guys want me to!
> 
> (please don’t quote me on what i said last chapter i know this took insanely long i just have no motivation for anything lol ((if i did i’d have art for this too)) )

There’s an eerie silence that creeps across the back alley of the city. Mason Leon starts shaking off the odd feeling he’s still not used to from dimensional travel. He grabs the door handle in front of him once he’s ready and, after looking down the unlit walkway to the street, enters the building.

The 24-year-old lets one sigh escape him, ridding himself of any nerves and clearing his head. Ever since he became second-in-command, there’s been more and more pressure with his job. Mason strides past the small group of subordinates that formed near the entrance, not even giving them acknowledgement. They sneer but he doesn't care. He's earned his place and they haven't, and it's as simple as that.

The man takes a seat at the bar in their hideout, placing his arms on the counter and waiting for Roy to make his way over. He sifts through his jacket pocket and takes out the small dagger he recovered a few weeks past. The blade is dull but still doesn't fail to trigger anger within him. He studies it for a minute, noticing a stain of blood on the steel.

"Still harborin' over that damn thing, huh?" Mason scoffs.

"They killed my group. Someone's gotta pay."

"Why'd you keep th' kid's weapon?" Roy asks, putting a glass of beer on the coaster in front of him. _So I don't forget what those fuckers did to me. To my brothers. My family. I'll kill them all for what they've done._ He only grunts in reply, setting the yellow-butted blade down on the counter. He holds the drink in his hand and stares at it. "I understand your grievin', but for real, Mason, keepin' mementos of th' past ain't a good thing. Just ask my cousin."

"Don't push it, Roy. What I do is none of your business." The bartender guffaws, picking up a glass to clean as Mason drinks out of his. He sets it down after finishing his swig, clearing his throat. "I'm gonna fucking destroy this world." Roy pauses.

"Mason, y'know it ain't up to-"

"I don't care! There's no reason that this universe has to exist! I'm so sick and tired of it! The only people who care about this world are fools. Oblivious dumbasses who have no idea how horrible this garbage heap is." Mason scowls, looking off to the side. _I want to go home._

A few weeks ago, the adult was celebrating a haul with his best scouts. They'd stolen so much it was bound to make their gang rich beyond anything they'd ever been. Mason had been recently promoted to being the boss's second-in-command, a feat that rewarded him the ability to send out members to fetch things. He tagged along with them, as the men and women he chose more than two months ago had been with him since he joined. He saw them as family, as equals.

And then those fucking _mutants_ showed up. It felt as though they appeared out of nowhere, one of them sarcastically commenting about his team's actions being stale. The two groups fought, but somehow Mason failed. One by one his companions went down. He was powerless to stop it from happening.

The punishment in their gang for failing to succeed is death. The boss doesn't tolerate weakness. So Mason watched as his friends were killed in front of him. Silver Fang's leader only spared the 24-year-old's life as a warning, to leave this as a reminder for what was waiting for him if this happened a second time. So he swore it never would.

"Look, man, we're all ticked off at those wanna-be vigilantes. Bein' more angry about it than you need to be will only hold you back."

"How could you possibly understand my frustration? Kiela and Brian and Penny - they weren't anything to you! Not like they were to me!" Mason slams the glass cup on the table, glaring at the stone-faced expression on his acquaintant's face. Roy doesn't respond. He breaks eye contact after a second to look back down at the wineglass he continues to clean. _That's what I fucking thought._

Mason takes another drink, wiping his mouth afterwards. "I'm gonna fucking kill them, Roy… and then this whole dimension. No one's gonna stop me. I-"

"Ah, hold on. Almost forgot. Boss wants to talk to you." Mason can't halt the slightest emotion seep through, fear washing over him for a brief second. He stops himself when he realizes he hasn't even done anything and goes back to his trademark scowl. Roy hasn't noticed, or at least if he has, he isn't showing it. The second-in-command supposes he's grateful for that. A slight nod is given in the bartender's direction before Mason rises.

He catches the eyes of a few rookies before pushing the door open, looking away with extreme disinterest in whatever their dumb opinions were. As the 24-year-old begins the walk down the unlit hallway, he can't help but fear that this is the last moments of his life. _I didn't even do anything wrong. She didn't assign me a new team or anything._ He tells his worries to stuff it and pushes the tarp to the dreaded destination aside.

Mason pauses at the center of the room once he gets there and lowers to one knee. He knows not to look up until addressed, but the silence that greets his arrival nearly frustrates him to the point of saying something. He doesn't. The only thing stopping him is the punishment he knows would await him.

"I was wondering when you would show up," The cold words of his boss echo out. "I sent for you an hour ago." The immediate second-in-command lets ten seconds go by before replying.

"I attended the event. All went according to plan."

"Excellent. Perhaps you have your moments of competence. Was our messenger there?"

"Yes. He shows all signs of resentment that you predicted." His boss lets out a sound of content. A minute goes by, and Mason still restrains himself from even glancing upwards. He hasn't gotten his revenge, so he won't act out. Not yet.

"I have a new assignment for you. You should know I am only allowing you to execute this because you are my deputy... and because you have regained my trust. Do not lose it again." Mason lowers his head further. "I am entrusting you a new team to hunt and capture our foes. Do not kill them. I want them alive. Study them and learn how they operate and maneuver if you must, but complete this task before the end of the year. Once we have them, we can begin phase two of our plan." He says nothing, knowing the drill; at least until he remembers what their messenger told them about today.

"If I may," Mason begins, feeling the tension in the room rise. "I have information that you may find… interesting." He keeps his head lowered and awaits her reply. _I hate talking like this._

"Proceed."

"The kid has a thing for one of the freaks." His boss almost laughs.

"Are you sure?"

"It's obvious. Even if the eight of them met today, the way she acts around him… it's all there."

"A shame." Mason nearly breaks composure but keeps himself in check. He doesn't care for his leader's backstory. "You are excused. Do not fail me again." The 24-year old nods his head and exits the room.

Finally, after all this time, Mason Leon is getting what he desires. A smile crosses his face and he thinks of his finally forgiven past for a moment. The faces of his family that flash in his head makes the expression disappear as quickly as it came. _Whatever I do, I'll fucking kill them. I_ will _make sure it's me that does it._ He re-enters the bar in a better mood than the last few days.

"You look chipper," Roy comments as the deputy sits back down in his spot. "What was the meetin' about?" On any other occasion, Mason would shoot Roy down for asking this question and follow the rules. Today is different.

"Boss is giving me my own team again. I'm getting what I want." He keeps his voice hushed, gladly taking the drink his friend slides over to him.

"Now all you gotta do is find 'em."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand end chapter three! this one is a bit shorter than the previous two so far. the next chapter should be more chill in terms of plot bc i can’t help myself lol. please let me know if you guys want me to change anything so far because i understand that this kind of story isn’t for everyone. if i do anything grammatically incorrect PLEASE let me know. kudos and comments are super appreciated and help keep my motivation up! ;;


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